A Hero Journey
by Wishful Thinker8
Summary: Set in an alternate universe...takes place during the final battle between Tyson and Tala and is based on the theory of a Hero Journey by Carl Jung. Tyson is about to face one of the most difficult tasks of his life...possible TyKai and MaxRei Good Copy o
1. Chapter 1

GAH! NOT ANOTHER STORY! MAOZ.... WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME???  
  
Maoz-Making you get out of your writing slump....  
  
I hate you at the moment.... I have 3 other fics to finish!  
  
Maoz-oh hush...maybe this will get you to write in Inertia  
  
.... I doubt it...that fic is hitting rock bottom...  
  
Maoz-just get one with writing this fic! It's a new start  
  
Oh well...perhaps I shall finish this one...anywho...y'all should know that this is my very first beyblade fic...besides a crappy poem that I wrote like a year ago. This is based of a theory of Carl Jung. He was a.... philosopher I think that studied Darwin's theories but branched off to his own...one of them was called a hero journey which I studied in English this year. Basically, he believed that everyone has to venture outside of their comfort zone and complete a hero journey, which includes facing his or her demons, physical/spiritual fatigue, inadequate skills and other challenges. This is an AU fic that takes place during the final battle in Season one between Tyson and Tala...it's an alternate ending...but not really...  
  
Maoz-why don't you just try to write it instead of explaining it?  
  
*Sticks out tongue* Fine...  
  
Disclaimer- I do not own Beyblade...in no way shape or form  
  
"Talking"  
  
'Thoughts'  
  
*~*-Scene change  
  
A Hero Journey-Chapter 1  
  
Tyson felt a chilling wind rush past his bare arms and legs. Shivering slightly, he managed to pry open his eyes and let out an audible gasp. He was in a world of ice...no...this wasn't possible! Where was his beyblade? His eyes began to dart from side to side, taking in his surroundings and at the same time looking for his dragoon. The blue-haired boy let out a soft sigh when he spotted his beyblade and rushed over to pick it up. "Dragoon...you're ok," he murmured to himself as he checked it over for damage. The wind blew past him again and he could not help himself as he started to shiver even more...out of cold and fear. "Where am I?" he asked softly, crossing his arms over his chest, desperate to keep any warmth that he might have left. "Kai? Max?" Tyson called out, his voice echoing off the icy prison he was in. "Rei?...Kenny?" Defeated, the boy slumped down on his knees and bowed his head. "I'm all alone" he whispered through numbing lips. "All alone...."  
  
*~*  
  
Warmth...that's the first feeling Tyson felt as he drifted back to conscious. Blissful warmth from head to foot. ' I'm in a world of ice and I'm warm...' he thought blearily. 'What is wrong with this picture? Oh no.... I couldn't have died.... you can survive that long out in the cold, right?' The panic began to rise in his throat as his eyes shot open and he sat up suddenly, breathing labored. His eyes, again, landed on the unfamiliar setting of an old wooden cabin and a blazing fire next to him, which explained the warmness. There was a small table at the other end of the room and what looked like to be some sort of old fashioned, black...thing. Tyson really wasn't sure what it was...historical stuff wasn't really his strong suit. There was a worn looking plaid couch against the wall closet to him...and not one human in sight. "How did I get here?" the blue haired boy asked out loud. "I don't understand...wasn't I out in the ice world that Tala created?"  
  
"You were...but I found you and brought you back here. You really shouldn't be sitting up...you've been sick and unconscious for over a week," a cheerful male voice replied from behind Tyson.   
  
"GAH!!" Tyson screamed as he jumped at the sound of another voice. He turned around to glare at his savior. "Don't do that!" His glare, however, landed on a pair of smiling bright blue eyes...a pair of eyes that he knew very well...those were the eyes that belonged to his best friend Max. "M-max?" he whispered, his own eyes going wide with hope. "Is that you?"  
  
Said blonde look like blinked a few times, looking confused. "I'm sorry...but I'm not your friend Max...my name is Kin," he replied brightly. "And you are?" However, Tyson, not being in his right state of mind was determined to prove that this was indeed his best friend. Throwing off the animal skin that covered him, he stumbled upwards towards the blonde.  
  
"Max...come on! Don't joke around! So Tala got you into this world as well...where are they others? Kai? Rei? Come on out guys! Joke's over..." the blader called out, glancing around the room again. Why was it spinning so much? And why was he finding it hard to breath? "Kenny?" he called out weakly as he reached whom he claimed was Max. "Come out guys...we'll defeat Tala together...let it rip..." Eyes sliding shut, Tyson pitched forward into Kin's arms. The blonde looked down at his patient, a glint of worry evident in his baby blues.  
  
"I am sorry that I'm not your friend Max" he replied softly to the unconscious boy as he dragged Tyson back to the makeshift bed he had made earlier on in the week. "You look like you need a friend...rest now.... whoever you are. You shall feel better soon". Drawing the animal skin back over the stranger, Kin made his way over to his kitchen table and sat down. Sighing softly, he reached over and picked up the strange toy the outsider was clutching in his hand when Kin found him half buried in the snow and ice. 'This is very interesting' he thought curiously, turning the blade over in his hands. 'I wonder what it is....'.   
  
*~*  
  
A horrified look appeared on Max's cherubic as he watched his best friend fall to the ground beside the beyblade stadium as the ice walls began to disappear. "NO!" he cried out frantically, scrambling to get off the bench and rush to Tyson's side. "Tyson!"   
  
He was not the only one that was heading towards the motionless pre-teen. Both Rei and Kenny were right beside him. Quickly kneeling down, he gently shook Tyson's shoulder. "Tyson? Tyson? Come on bud...wake up..." the blonde boy said urgently. The three took no notice that on the other side lay a motionless Tala, but the fourth member of the blade breakers did. His crimson eyes slowly slid shut again as a medical team entered the area and placed Tyson on a stretcher. Kai wasn't sure exactly what was going on...but it wasn't good.  
  
*~*  
  
"I'm sorry boys.... but it appears that Tyson is in some sort of coma. The doctors are still running tests to find out what caused him to go into one in the first place," Mr. Dickenson stated sadly to the blade breakers who were scattered around the hospital waiting area.   
  
"This sucks," Dizzi stated from the confines of the laptop. "I don't like waiting..."  
  
"Did anyone think to pick up Dragoon?" Max asked worriedly from where he laid across several seats. He sat up, the worry clearly etched on his face and his golden blonde haired tousled.  
  
"No, it wasn't there," Kai grunted from where he stood in the corner. Rei glanced over at his stoic teammate.   
  
"Are you sure Kai?" he asked quietly. Kai merely grunted in reply. Max let out a soft sigh.  
  
"I just thought maybe that if Tyson had something familiar beside him...he might out of his coma quicker," he explained quietly.  
  
"Not a bad idea Max...if we knew where dragoon was," Kenny commented, typing away at Dizzi.   
  
"I wonder what's going to happen with the match..." Rei murmured a few minutes later, shattering the silence. "I'll bet they give it to Tala..."  
  
"They won't," Kai replied coldly from the side again. "Because if any of you idiots took some time to look around...you would have noticed that Tala was knocked out cold as well"  
  
*~*  
  
Ok.... I know I know...short chapter...and probably some OOC...and if anyone is wondering Kin means golden. I thought that suited a Max-like character...I do promise that it will get more interesting later on.... please review? Pretty please?? And if anyone could tell me the color of their eyes from first season...it's been awhile since I've seen those episodes...  
  
Thankies to my beta reader Duo's Only Chick.... I don't know what I would do without her....  
  
Samurai Butterfly 


	2. Chapter 2

O.O....one review...oh well...thanks for your support Duo's only Chick and crescente nuwedes!  
  
One correction from the last chapter...Jung didn't branch off from Darwin.... he might of branched off of Freud...or maybe he was just by himself...who knows? I might include a bit of yaoi...perhaps some Max/Rei and Ty/Kai...so consider this a warning  
  
One more thing...((and feel free to his me if I start sounding like uncle from Jackie Chan))...Kin and the others I'm about to introduce in this chapter are essentially Max, Kai, Rei, Kenny, etc. I would have used their real names...but it would have been too weird to have Max in one world and in the other...so really, it's for the sake of Tyson practically losing his sanity and me keeping mine *nods*  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own them...But I'm pretty sure I own this plot idea  
  
'thoughts'  
  
"talking"  
  
Kin-Golden  
  
Kiyoshi-quiet  
  
Hideaki-wise  
  
Masato-justice  
  
A Hero Journey-Chapter 2  
  
Tyson's eyes fluttered open and found himself looking into a pair of crystal blue eyes. His own eyes widened greatly and he drew in a deep breath, preparing to scream in order to scare those eyes away...however there was one hitch in that plan. As he drew in that breath, a sharp pain shot across his chest, causing him to gasp sharply instead. "Careful" Kin replied in his normally bright voice. "You're very sick...and your body is still healing."  
  
"Who...who are you?" Tyson whispered, afraid to raise his voice any louder in case the pain returned. "And where am I? Aren't you Max? I'm so confused...".   
  
"Calm down...my name is Kin...and I'm afraid I do not know where your friend Max is...There were no others with you when I found you...I tried to get you warm as fast as possible...but the gods still decided to give you a sickness anyways" the blonde explained slowly. "As for where you are, well, right now you are in a small village called Midori, it happens to be right on the other side of the border from the barren wasteland where I found you...that place is called Hyouden. It is where many strange animals and creatures live...be glad that I found you before they did. I mean, Draciel even hates to go there....". Kin slowly trailed off as he saw Tyson's eyes widening with surprise. "What? What did I say?"  
  
"Draciel...you have to be Max.... *he's* the only one that has that bit beast!" the blader said in an urgent whisper. Reaching up, he grabbed into Kin's wrist. "Come on bud.... remember blading? And the people we've met...and the all-starz and dark bladers...you *have* to remember Max..."  
  
"Bit beast? I don't know what you are talking about...Draciel is my friend...you can meet her if you want to..." the blonde-haired boy replied slowly. Reaching into his pocket, Kin pulled out a roughly carved wooden whistle. Keeping one eye on Tyson, he brought the instrument up to his mouth and blew into it. It emitted a soft, almost cooing sound that filled the room. Tyson's eyes darted from side to side nervously, expecting a huge creature to suddenly emerge from something in the room...like normal bit beasts did. But, much to his surprise, nothing happened. Just as he began to relax, a flash of movement from the doorway caught his eye. A turtle like creature slowly ambled into the room, moving at a very slow pace as most turtles did. Tyson's jaw nearly dropped open.  
  
"T-that's Draciel?!" Kin smile widely as the turtle creature made her way over to the boys and settled down on his lap.   
  
"Yup...this is Draciel. She's the most loyal out of all our fighters...although not the strongest. I mean, Dranzer has never lost a fight yet" he replied softly, gently petting the top of the turtle's head. Draciel let out a soft sigh of contentment. If possible, Tyson's eyes widened even more.   
  
"Dranzer?" he asked, the doubt evident in his voice before he let out a soft groan. "This is so confusing.... last thing I knew, I, Tyson Granger, was battling Tala in the finals..."  
  
"Ah, so your name is Tyson...I was wondering if you were ever going to tell me" Kin replied with a slight smile on his face. "Are you saying that you came from a different world? It is possible.... one person did it...along time ago, when I was just a child...I remember, she had the same color hair as you" Tyson let out another sigh as he let his eyes slide shut, too tired to hold them open anymore.  
  
"I dunno...I could be from another world...I was battling Tala and Wolborg...with my dragoon...he's a bit beast in my beyblade. He's the best you know...and Tala did something...and I ended up in the ice palace thing..." the blue-haired boy murmured sleepily. "You look exactly like my best friend...his name is Max...you'd like him..." The rest of the sentence was almost incoherent, as Tyson had drifted off to sleep. Kin sighed and shook his head before tucking the blanket under his newfound friend's chin.   
  
"Sleep well Tyson," he murmured, gently gathering up Draciel in his arms and standing up. 'So he knows about Wolborg and Dragoon...perhaps he is the one after all...'  
  
*~*  
  
Kenny simply looked at Kai, his eyes well hidden behind his mop of brown hair. "What...what do you mean Tala was out cold as well....are you saying that whatever could have caused Tyson to go into a coma...could have possibly cause Tala to go into one as well?" Kai offered the team a short nod.  
  
"That is one possibility..." Dizzi commented. "The power that Tala was emitting was huge...it could have easily knocked both of them out...for a while at least". Max let out a soft sigh before placing his head in his hands.  
  
"I dunno...I think it's more than that" he replied softly. "It doesn't feel...normal". Rei nodded softly in agreement as he got up and walked over to sit beside Max.  
  
"I agree with Max," the Chinese boy stated, placing an arm around Max's shoulders. "This whole situation feels strange...maybe Biovolt had something to do with it"  
  
"Biovolt cares about nothing except creating the perfect beyblader" Kai snorted from the background. "They had no hand in this."  
  
"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for this" Mr. Dickenson spoke up, adjusting his glasses so that they were higher up on his nose. "They have very excellent medical services here in Moscow".   
  
'What if it isn't a medical reason though...'Max thought worriedly, paying no attention to the arm that was still draped over his shoulders. 'Tyson's been going through a lot lately...'. The blonde boy was startled out of his thoughts by the entrance of three other people in the room. The doctor who was looking after Tyson, and Tyson's grandpa and dad.  
  
*~*  
  
Kin let out a soft sigh as Draciel proceeded to nose the object he had found clutched in Tyson's hand across the table again. "Draciel...stop that," he chided gently, grabbing whatever it was in his own hand. "It doesn't belong to you...". This was only the tenth time he had done this...for some reason Draciel wasn't listening and this time was no different. The designs that decorated her shell began to glow a light red, which indicated that she was annoyed and she let out a soft snort of disagreement before nudging the mysterious object back out of Kin's hand and the process repeated all over again. The blonde haired boy let out a frustrated sigh as he reached for it one more time but was interrupted by a knock on his door. Stifling another sigh, Kin stood up to answer the door as Draciel gleefully began her game of pushing the object back and forth across the table.  
  
Kin cast another glanced at his fighter before opening the door to see his friend Hideaki [1] standing there. "Hideaki!" he cried happily, giving the brown-haired boy a warm hug. "It's good to see you again...where's Dizzi?" Hideaki simply rolled his eyes.  
  
"She's off in the forest somewhere...something about looking for some fun...and how this village is so boring" he explained knowingly. "I heard that you have another visitor...". It was Kin's turn to roll his eyes.  
  
"Is nothing secret anymore?" he asked, not really expecting an answer to his question. Hideaki shrugged as they stepped back into the house and Kin closed the door behind them.  
  
"Not here anyways, you knew that Kin" he replied knowingly, eyes searching the room for the guest and eventually landing on Tyson. "I'm guessing that's him?" The blonde -haired boy nodded in response.  
  
"Yes, his name is Tyson and he's not doing too well...I think being out in the cold so long made him sick and he's not from this world...but he knows about..." Kin's voice dropped to a whisper. "Wolborg and Dragoon". Hideaki let out a soft gasp.  
  
"You aren't serious..."  
  
"I am...Draciel is even acting...well...happy again. After that attack from Wyborg and Falborg...I wasn't sure she would ever return to her normal self" Kin admitted softly as he watched Draciel happily push the object from one end of the table to another, the swirly designs were glow a soft green, which indicated contentment. His friend looked on in amazement.   
  
"She's happy..." he admitted slowly. "But what is the thing that she's playing with?". Kin shrugged as he walked over and picked it up off the table and offered it to Hideaki. The color Draciel admitted immediately changed to red and she began to crawl down off the table and make her way over to what she thought was a new toy.   
  
"Tyson had this clutched in his hand when I found him...I'm not really sure what it is..."  
  
"Hmm...." Hideaki murmured, looking the beyblade over, taking in every little detail. He was so intent on figuring out what it was that he didn't notice Draciel gently nipping at his foot, desperate to get her toy back. After a few moments of inspection, Hideaki finally shrugged and offered the unknown object back to Kin. "It's made out of a material I've never seen before" he admitted softly. " But the construction is excellent". Seeing that her toy was being passed back to her master, Draciel made her way back over to Kin. Just as Hideaki was about to hand it over, his sharp eyes caught a flash of color on top of the object. "Wait Kin! There's something on top that I didn't notice before!".  
  
Before the brunette had a chance to take a closer look, a stream of light shot out of the beyblade and ricocheted around the room a few times before crashing into the table. "Was that supposed to happen?" Kin asked nervously. His home used to be a peaceful place...  
  
"I'm not sure..." Hideaki admitted, as the light seemed to form into something. "Gods Kin, you don't think it could be..."  
  
*~*  
  
After offering a small nod to his son's teammates, Mr. Granger made his way over to the doctor. "How's Tyson doing?"  
  
"He's a perfectly healthy 12 year old boy. I'm baffled as to the reason of why he went into a coma in the first place" the doctor replied truthfully. "I have no explanation for you...I'm very sorry but we have no other choice but to wait for Tyson to wake up."  
  
"What about the other boy that was brought is?" Mr. Dickenson asked in an amazingly calm voice considering the situation that they were caught up in. The doctor simply looked at the elderly man, obviously confused.  
  
"What other boy? Tyson Granger is the only one that's been admitted to this hospital in the past 4 hours..."  
  
Kai groaned silently. Tala had obviously faked his injuries and had managed to get a hold of Dragoon somehow. 'But why do I care that his beyblade is missing?' the crimson eyed boy thought confusedly. Shaking his head clear of those thoughts, Kai got up off the wall and left the room, intent on finding out exactly what was going on and how Biovolt was linked to it.  
  
"The rest of you little dudes should leave also" Tyson's grandpa commented from the background. "We'll give you a ring if anything changes...". The remaining members of the blade breakers nodded silently before standing up and leaving the waiting room as well. They had now lost the 2 strongest members of their team not to mention that the fate of the world was still up in the air. Team morale was at an all time low and it was at this time that Max wished Tyson were still with them...they needed that cheerfulness and confidence right about now.  
  
*~*  
  
A tiny tail was formed, followed by paper-thin wings, and small pointy horns. "Kin!" Hideaki cried excitedly. "It's...it's him! Dragoon had finally come!". There, on Kin's kitchen table, sat the cutest baby dragon you could ever imagine. It was the size of small cat or large kitten. It was ice blue in color with glittering scales that let off a soft white glow when the sun light hit them properly. His tiny tail curled around his hind paws as he examined his front ones with wide, innocent silver eyes. There was a small developing horn on the end of his snout along with another pair by his point ears. He sneezed delicately, a fine mist rushing out of his nostrils and coating the table. Inside of a minute, the mist had turned into a thick layer of ice.  
  
Draciel let out a cry of excitement at the possibility of making a new friend and she began to plod back over to the table. The tiny dragon blinked a few times before focusing on Kin and Hideaki. Neither of them seemed fit to be his master...and neither was the strange creature approaching him. Casting a glance around the cozy room, his gaze landed on a sleeping blue haired boy. Deciding that he would be a good master, Dragoon hopped down onto a chair, then to the floor before making his way over to Tyson and curling up into a ball on the sleeping boy's stomach and going to sleep himself. Kin blinked a few times, unable to believe the event that had just taken place.  
  
"Does this mean that the legendary Dragoon has just chosen the outsider, er, Tyson to be his master?" Kin asked, the awe apparent in his voice.  
  
"I think that's exactly what Dragoon has just done," Hideaki replied slowly. "I think it's time we contact Masato [2] and inform him about this..."  
  
"Driger will let him know that he has to come here..." the blonde boy replied, reaching down to pick up Draciel as she passed him by on her way to greet Dragoon. The designs glowed a faint red again and she began to pout (well, as much as turtle-like creatures can pout). Sometimes her master just ruined all her fun...  
  
*~*  
  
[1]-if anyone couldn't tell...this is supposed to be Kenny  
  
[2]-this is who represents Rei  
  
Whew.... long chapter for me.... Well, I hoped everyone liked it! The first couple of chapters are going to be slow because I just have to get everything explained then we can get onto the fun stuff. I'm not sure if I should include romance or not...it's your choice.  
  
You can either vote for:  
  
Rei/Max only  
  
Tyson/Kai only  
  
Both Rei/Max and Tyson/Kai  
  
Please review!  
  
Samurai Butterfly 


	3. Chapter 3

Yayness! People actually like my story! Thanks go out to everyone who reviewed and especially Ms Hobgoblin for telling me what color everyone's eyes were! Um...what's left to say? More peeps will be introduced this chapter...ano...there's nothing else!  
  
Maoz-that was a pathetic author's note.  
  
Hush up you.... here are the responses to the reviews!  
  
Feelin Glayish and TechonoRanma: Thank you for the nice comments! And Dragoon isn't necessarily a baby...you'll find out in this chapter the truth behind them...  
  
Crescente Nuwedes: Thanks!  
  
Crystal Pheonix: Your vote is counted  
  
Dragona15: Thanks! Will you still read my fic if it's both?  
  
Ms. Hobgoblin: Thanks a lot for telling me their eye color! It's going to help a lot! Will you still read if it's both?  
  
Niner: your vote is counted  
  
Silver-chan: thanks! I'm glad you'll still read this if it's only ty/kai...I must admit, I'm leaning towards that pairing more simply because I'm more comfortable with it and I haven't found a really really really good MaRe fic to figure out how they are connected. So if I find one, I will definitely put them in as well  
  
For now, however, it will mainly be Ty/Kai with perhaps a hint of Ma/Re.... Thanks to everyone who voted!  
  
Maoz-you done yet?  
  
Hai...let's get on with chapter!  
  
'Thoughts', "talking", Kin-Golden, Kiyoshi-quiet, Hideaki-wise, Masato- justice  
  
A Hero Journey-Chapter 3  
  
A snowy white tiger cub gleefully pounced on an imaginary bug. Opening his oversized paws, he discovered that the bug had disappeared. Frowning slightly, he put his pink nose to the ground and began to sniff around for its new friend. Nose to the ground, the cub began to walk forward, sniffling furiously. Only paying attention to the smells around him, the tiger didn't notice a slipper clad foot until he had run smack dab into it. He looked up, offering the owner of the foot a small yowl of protest. Said owner let out a gentle laugh.  
  
"I shouldn't be the one apologizing Driger," he chided softly. "You were the one not looking where you were going". Driger sniffled slightly, looking displeased. There was another quiet laugh. "All right, all right, I'm sorry".  
  
There was another yowl of protest.  
  
"What?"  
  
Frowning slightly, the snow-white cub battled at the slipper-clad foot, determined that his 'friend' was under there. Driger's master sighed softly, lifting his foot off the ground and moving over a few steps. "Better?"  
  
The tiger seemed to grin brightly and put his nose to the ground and started to sniff around for his friend. The raven-haired teen chuckled softly to himself while sitting down on the soft green grass in front of his cabin. Today seemed perfect...the sun was shining and the air was just cool enough to enjoy comfortably. Perhaps he should plan a trip to see Hideaki and Kin soon.... He smiled warmly at the thought of the blonde haired beauty...the trip was sounding better and better every second. A cold nose being pushed against his palm rudely interrupted the plan.  
  
"What now Driger?" the amber eyed teen asked curiously, gently running a hand over the soft fur on the tiger's head. The tiger let out a soft purr, pushing his head against the hand willingly as a small piece of paper drifted out of his mouth and floated to the ground. "What's this?" he asked softly, removing his hand from his pet's head and reaching down to pick up the paper. It was a map...the one he used to go visit Kin and Hideaki last time. As he looked at it more closely however, he noticed one thing was different. Last time, there hadn't been a small blue dragon on the top corner of the map.  
  
The raven-haired teen let out a soft gasp as the pieces began to fall into place in his head. "Does this mean that...dragoon...no.... I have to go see them now" he said firmly, a flash of determination in his amber eyes. Standing up quickly, he made his way into the cabin. Driger let out a tiny roar of happiness before trotting after his master. He *loved* going on trips...  
  
*~*  
  
An awkward looking bird that was no larger than a baseball with wild red and orange flames sparking at the end of its tail spread his wings (that looked much too large for its body size) and gave them a few clumsy flaps. With a determined glint in its eyes, it launched itself into the air and flapped them experimentally a few more times before falling to the ground in a rumpled heap. The creature let out a few ear piercing shrieks on the descent, and they continued long after it had stopped falling.  
  
"Dranzer, stop complaining" a cold voice called out. "You know very well that you can't fly in that form". The phoenix stopped its shrieking and cast a forlorn glance at its master, who was standing in the mouth of the cave that they called home for the moment.  
  
Narrowing its fire colored eyes, the bird proceeded to remove itself delicately from the pile of dried leaves it had landed in and picked its way cautiously over to the blue-haired teen, navigating slowly through small, loose rock shards on the cave floor. The boy regarded the phoenix with narrowed red eyes. "Are you finished?"  
  
The phoenix simply turned its head away from its master and began to preen at the ruffled feathers on its wings. Sighing at the helplessness of his beast, the boy turned his attention back to the wintry world outside. Something was going on...he could feel it in the air and he could tell it wasn't going to be good for him.  
  
*~*  
  
Kai prowled through the streets of Moscow, looking for some sign of the Demolition boys or Biovolt...either one would do and while he was searching, he was trying to figure out why the hell he couldn't get his mind off a certain blue hair blader that currently was unconscious... 'Get a grip' he told his mind coldly. 'You should be thinking about...hell...I don't know what I should be thinking about. Why am I even trying to find these idiots? Would it make much difference?'  
  
The captain was so deep in thought that he didn't hear the sound of footsteps approach him from behind. The captain was so deep in thought that he didn't hear the heavy breathing behind him. The captain was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the shadow of a club until it was too late. Whoever was behind him, brought the club down hard on Kai's head, knocking him unconscious as well. The attacker let out a soft sigh as another pair of hands helped him pick up Kai up and carry him off into the shadows.  
  
*~*  
  
"Hideaki!" a female voice called throughout the village. "Hideaki!" One annoyed villager stuck his head out of his hut.  
  
"Stop yelling Dizzi" he chided softly. "Hideaki is with Kin". Dizzi nodded and dashed off towards the blonde's house, her light blue dress flapping in the breeze she created. From a small hole in the back of the dress, a bushy, deep red fox tail, complete with a white tip, protruded and among the cascade of deep brown curls covering her head, there were 2 identical deep red fox-like ears, also complete with white tips. To top it off, 3 scars complimented each side of her face that could easily be mistaken for whiskers. The villager merely sighed before pulling his head back inside and closing the window. She raced along the dirt path before skidded to a stop in front of a tidy looking cabin. Without bothering to knock, Dizzi opened the door and walked over to the 2 boys who were staring at...something.  
  
"Hello!" she stated cheerfully, peering over their shoulders. "What are you looking at?" For a response, she received a pair of screams as they hadn't heard anyone come into the room. Once their heart rates had returned to normal, Hideaki managed a small glare at his best friend.  
  
"Dizzi!" he exclaimed. "What have a said about doing that?"  
  
She shrugged. "Not to do it...but that's not the point" she replied with a wave of her hand. "What are you looking at?"  
  
"It's Dragoon" Kin replied helpfully, gesturing towards the small dragon that was peacefully sleeping on Tyson's stomach. Dizzi's blood red eyes widened drastically and her tail began to twitch in excitement at the thought of seeing the legendary dragoon. Her excitement soon turned to disappointment as her eyes landed on the baby dragon.  
  
"That's *him*? But...but...it's only a baby!"  
  
"Don't judge him by size Dizzi" Hideaki replied impatiently. "Dragoon is the greatest of warriors and he'll save us all". The half-fox-half-human glanced over at the blue puffball.  
  
"Look like he's the greatest at naps at the moment" she replied dryly, ears flicking back and forth; a sure sign she was annoyed at the situation. "We need to tell Masato and Kiyoshi [1] ". Both Kin and Hideaki let out a soft shudder at the second name. "What? Something I said?"  
  
"Kiyoshi won't care" Kin replied knowingly. "He's living in Hyouden at the moment...how can we trust someone who lives there?"  
  
"We may not have any choice," Hideaki said a few minutes later with a soft sigh as he just realized the full extent of the situation they were in. "The others will know that Dragoon is awake so they'll come to challenge us. We're dealing with an outsider that doesn't know how to control his beast and a beast that was just born. We don't know when Masato is going to arrive and Draciel won't be able to hold off Wolborg and the others on her own. Face it Kin...we need Kiyoshi whether we like it or not."  
  
*~*  
  
[1]-woohoo! And Kai makes his first entrance....  
  
Wow...short chapter...but I really, really, really wanted to get this out like I promised. So...I hope everyone liked it and maybe the next chapter will come sooner...  
  
Thanks to DoC for being my beta reader...trust me, nothing would make sense if I didn't have her to look over things! I owe you one....  
  
Please review!  
  
Samurai Butterfly 


	4. Chapter 4

Well...at least I've started to type the next chapter....

Maoz-you should be working on Inertia...

Oh hush... I need a break from that kind of angst for a while...it's making me sad...anywho...on to the reviewers!

Nancys-little-Obsession: I love TyKa as well...and thanks for your review! I'm updating right now

Feelin Glayish: Thanks for your review! I tried to match their names up to their personalities...now I just have to remember how to spell them O.O Me and Telpei love the bit beasts as well...they're just so cute!

Crescente Nuwedes: Yes you're right. Kiyoshi represents Kai and Masato represents Rei

Dragi: Thanks for reviewing! I'm updating at this very moment

'Thoughts', "talking", Kin-Golden, Kiyoshi-quiet, Hideaki-wise, Masato-justice

A Hero Journey-Chapter 4

"We may not have any choice," Hideaki said a few minutes later with a soft sigh as he just realized the full extent of the situation they were in. "The others will know that Dragoon is awake so they'll come to challenge us. We're dealing with an outsider that doesn't know how to control his beast and a beast that was just born. We don't know when Masato is going to arrive and Draciel won't be able to hold off Wolborg and the others on her own. Face it Kin...we need Kiyoshi whether we like it or not."

"Yeah Kin..." Dizzi added with a sigh as she cast another hopeful glance at the baby dragon. "We'll have to contact him as soon as possible."

"Well...I'm sure not going to do it" the golden haired boy replied stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Anyways...it doesn't look like either of them are going to be waking up anytime soon...I'd better go see if my dad needs some help."

"You can run but you can't hide!" Dizzi taunted as Kin headed out the door. "And you can't leave. Who's going to look after the outsider?"

"I'm going to see if I can get some medicine for him" the boy retorted before sticking out his tongue and bouncing out the door, slamming it closed behind him. Dizzi and Hideaki winced simultaneously before turning back to look at the sleeping dragoon and the outsider.

"Do you think one of us should stay here until Kin comes back?" Hideaki asked nervously as he glanced up at his long time friend. Dizzi merely shrugged.

"Nah...Dragoon and Draciel will protect him well enough. Besides, we have to go send a message to Masato!" the half fox girl said with a roll of her eyes before grabbing her friend's arm and dragging him out of the small cabin. The tiny ice dragon let out a soft snore that produced a few ice crystals before rolling over and curling his tiny tail around Tyson's motionless arm and drifting into a deeper sleep.

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Max let out a tired sigh as he entered the large glass door of the Russian hotel they were staying at for the tournament. When they had gotten back, the three Bladebreakers had immediately spilt up to roam the streets of Moscow for any sign of the Demolition boys. Kai, of course, had simply walked away from the group and disappeared into the night. Sighing again, Max headed for the elevator and pushed the button to go up. While he was waiting, the blonde leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. 'Why....why did this have to happen to Tyson?' he thought miserably. 'Why couldn't Kai have disappeared?'

He was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of elevator doors opening next to him. After letting the people exit out of it, Max entered and pushed the button for the 6th floor. 'I shouldn't think like that...' he mused, thinking back on his thoughts. 'Somewhere ...very deep, deep, deep inside Kai...there's a nice person....a nice caring person that's just waiting to get out...' The elevator stopped abruptly and there was a tiny 'ping' sound as the doors opened and Max stepped out into the blue carpeted hallway and made his way down to the room he was sharing with Rei. Upon finding his key in his pocket, Max opened the door and step inside his room only to see Rei and Kenny sitting on the beds.

"No luck?" he guessed, seeing the glum looks on their faces.

"Understatement of the year" Dizzi muttered from her digital prison. "No trace of the Demolition Boys anywhere."

"No trace of Kai either," Rei added as an afterthought. "You haven't seen him...have you Max?" The blonde let out a soft sigh and sat down on the bed beside the raven haired boy.

"Nope...I thought he would be back already...but you know Kai..." His sentence trailed off as the idea sunk in that 2 of their team members could possibly be missing. Clearing his throat hurriedly, Max pushed those thoughts out of his head and turned his attention back to his teammates. "Did Tyson's grandpa call at all?"

"Nope...no messages even" Kenny replied through a small yawn. "But I highly doubted they would have called...they didn't say they would unless there was a change with Tyson." Rei let out a bitter laugh.

"That's a bit of a doubled edge sword...I don't know whether to be happy or sad that they didn't call."

Max quirked an eyebrow at his friend's strange comment. "What does that mean?"

"In one way...it's good they didn't call because it means that Tyson could have gotten worse" Kenny put in as he gently placed his laptop on the bed beside him. "In the other way...it's bad they didn't call because that means he hasn't gotten any better."

"The BBA or Mr. Dickenson haven't called yet either" Rei added in a monotone voice. "So I guess they haven't decided what's going on with the match either...hopefully it'll be a rematch."

"You have to be kidding me Rei...with 2 of our best beybladers missing; we'd never win a rematch!" Max exclaimed, placing his head in his hands. "Its better they just give the match to the Demolition boys...it'll be easier that way." The Asian beyblader's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You've completely lost it Max! How can you say that they should just give it over to those idiots?!" he said coldly, standing up. "And we don't know for sure that Kai is gone either...."

"Gone or not, have you forgotten that he lost Dranzer? And you're too weak to battle at the moment...and it's not like I have Draciel anymore...You tell what we can do in a rematch then Rei," Max challenged, his baby blue eyes flashing with anger. "We'll have to forfeit anyways!"

As Rei opened his mouth to say something, Kenny jumped up and stepped between the two of them. "Okay...why are we fighting over something that hasn't even happened yet? If we have to do a rematch, we'll figure something out, okay? But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. It's a ...long day...let's just go to bed and maybe things will look better in the morning" the brunette suggested wearily, mentally sighing in relief as he saw the anger leave the bodies of his two friends.

"You're right Kenny..." the blonde boy admitted quietly. "Sorry Rei...it's just that..."

"I understand" Rei interrupted, offering Max a gentle smile. "I'm sorry as well."

"Good...now that you've all made up, can we please get some sleep?" Dizzi questioned, her voice sounding impatient.

"Sounds like a good plan Dizzi" Max murmured as he headed over to his suitcase to find his pj's. "Sleep is just what we all need..."

----------------

The cricket was terrified...A snowy white tiger cub had chased him all over this forest and had now cornered him against a tree. The cub wiggled it's backside in anticipation of pouncing on its playmate. The predator's tail twitched impatiently and the cricket let out a desperate chirp. 'This is it' he thought as an overwhelming feeling of dread washed over him. 'I'm going to die...'. The tiny insect let out another terrified chirp as he saw the kitten spring and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the attack...But strangely enough, it never came. The bug opened one eye cautiously to find the baby tiger caught in a human's hand by the flap of skin on his neck.

The cub let out a pitiful yowl of protest and looked down longingly at the cricket. The insect opened his other eye and let out a chirp of thanks to the human who had saved him and hopped off into the forest, playing a happy song as he traveled back to his home. The baby cat struggled to follow but the raven haired human wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon.

"What have I told you about teasing things that are smaller than you?" Masato chided softly as he re-shouldered his backpack and began walking down the leafy path in the forest. "Really Driger...you should know better by now." A low grow emerged from the tiger's throat as it turned to look at his master as if to say "This is not fair!" Masato merely chuckled and shifted the cub so that Driger was now cradled in his arms. "I know it isn't fair...but you don't like it when things bigger than you pick on you so it's only fair".

Suddenly, the growl in Driger's throat became much more prominent and the tiger struggled to get out of his masters arms. Masato knew this growl all too well. He let the tiger go, knowing that if he didn't, his arms would soon be covered in scratches.

Someone was coming...and it was someone who Driger did not like at all.

---------

Kin let out a soft sigh as he re-entered his cabin and shut the door gently. He took a small glass bottle out from his pocket and set it down on the table before going over and kneeling down beside Draciel who was lying down on the worn blanket that she had claimed when she was a baby. "Hey girl" he murmured, getting petting her shell. "Everything all right here?" The turtle let out a low murmur and the swirl like designs on her shell emitted a soft green glow; a sure sign of contentment. Kin smiled warmly and glanced over at the outsider and Dragoon. Neither of them had moved one bit since he had left. 'It's good that we finally found Dragoon...but will an outsider be able to handle his power?' the blonde thought worriedly as he stood up and moved to the kitchen area of his cabin, Draciel following right behind him. Kin glanced down at the turtle and chuckled softly. "So you're hungry too...well, I suppose I can find some food for you..." And with that said he began to rummage through the cupboards.

Since Kin's back was facing the sleeping duo, he didn't notice one of Dragoon's ears pop up, as though listening for something. Soon, the other ear did the same and the dragon's eyes shot open. Something was not right. He let out an ear piercing scream that startled all the occupants in the cabin, including Tyson who sat straight up with a look of panic on his face as his eyes landed on the dragon, to cover their ears.

"What...what's that?!" the outsider cried before breaking into a coughing fit. The dragon stopped screeching for a moment only to move closer to Tyson and rub against his side as if he sensed his master's distress. This simple action seemed to calm the blue-haired boy long enough so that he could catch his breath. Kin simply stared at the pair as Tyson's coughing slowly stopped all together and he was able to glance up at the blonde.

"Max..." he croaked. "What exactly is this thing beside me?" Kin hurried to grab a ladle of water and bring it to the outsider.

"Drink" he said, holding the dipper full of water up to Tyson's lips. "You'll feel better for it." Tyson did as he was told and slowly sipped the water. He let out a mental sigh as the cool water soothed his sore throat and cleared the crackly feeling in his chest. Once he had finished water, Tyson took a hesitant breath and found that he could breathe a bit easier.

"Max...what is this thing beside me?" he repeated, glancing down at the tiny blue dragon beside him.

"My name is not Max....it's Kin remember?" the blonde replied gently. "And this...this is Dragoon...he's chosen you as a master." At this comment, Tyson's jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

"E-excuse me? D-dragoon? But he's my bit beast! Not this little wimpy thing!" Dragoon's eyes narrowed dangerously and moved to gently nip one of Tyson's fingers. The beyblader let out a soft cry and pulled his hand away from the dragon.

"I don't think it likes being insulted" Kin stated, an amused look in his blue eyes as he struggled to hold back laughter. Tyson frowned slightly.

"It's not funny! And why is he acting like this? It's like something is about to attack him" the beyblader pointed out. Kin frowned slightly as he glanced over at Draciel, whose designs were slowly fading from the light green to a deep purple which meant she was scared...about as scared as when she had met...

"Oh gods" Kin whispered, eyes widening. "They wouldn't..."

"Who wouldn't?" Tyson asked curiously as he watched the tiny dragon rise on its haunches and stare intently at the door.

"It's...Wyborg and Falborg...they've come to attack us!"

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Ok....I'm finally back after a long hiatus!!! does a happy dance I'm on a roll for this story and I already have the next chapter started...but then again, I just started my first year of university so I'm not sure how busy I'll be...oh well! This is one of my fav ideas so I will start updating more frequently! I promise!!

Please read and review!!

Samurai Butterfly


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